EcoWaste Coalition is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions
to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.

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30 April 2013

A toxics watchdog exhorted local government
units (LGUs), non-government organizations and companies that are planning to
give bags to less-privileged children in time for the school reopening to get a
formal certification from suppliers confirming the safety of their products from
lead, a brain-damaging chemical.

“We appeal to generous givers from the public and private sectors to offer bags
that have undergone lead safety tests to ensure that their gifts would not
expose the recipients to lead,” said Aileen Lucero, Acting National
Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“The LGUs and other bag donors can demand a certification from their suppliers
that their bags passed the limit for total lead content as analyzed by
qualified government-accredited laboratories prior to procuring and giving away
the items,” she said.

“This is one way of ensuring that bag donors do not in any way contribute to
childhood lead exposure that may hinder a child’s well-rounded development,”
she emphasized.

“As there are other chemicals aside from lead that may adversely affect
children’s health, we also suggest that the bags be tested for other priority
substances such as phthalates, which are commonly used as plasticizers in
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic,” she added.
Phthalates are known endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Lucero’s appeal came in the aftermath of her group’s recent investigation that
detected lead up to 5,752 parts per million (ppm) in 23 out of 25 kiddie
backpacks, way above the 90 ppm limit in US for lead in paint and surface
coatings.

Using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, EcoWaste researchers discovered
excessive amounts of lead on the painted portions of some plastic
backpacks, particularly on the designs, logos and the main materials of
which the bags are made of.

According to the EcoWaste Coalition, lead exposure can retard the development
of a child’s developing central nervous system and permanently damage the brain
even at low levels of exposure, stressing that the effects are not immediately
observed and that there are no obvious symptoms until the blood lead level is
very high.

Health studies have shown that childhood lead exposure can result to a broad
range of serious developmental and behavioral problems, including reading and
learning disabilities, inattentiveness, hyperactivity and irritability, lower
IQ and poor school performance.

Lead can enter a human body mainly through the inhalation or ingestion of lead
particles or dust from chipping or flaking paints in homes, playgrounds,
schools and other facilities, as well as from lead-containing products such as
toys and other children’s articles.

In his letter to the EcoWaste Coalition in 2011, Health Secretary Enrique Ona
said that “clinical toxicologists have indicated that there are no safe levels
for lead exposure among children.”

“This fact make banning of substances containing lead an imperative,” he said.

The EcoWaste Coalition is a national network of more than 150 public interest
groups pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and
chemical issues towards the envisioned Zero Waste 2020 goal.

28 April 2013

The EcoWaste Coaliton, a toxics watchdog, made the warning as bags and other
back-to-school necessities come into sight in Divisoria, the nation’s bargain
shopping hub.

As part of its series of product sampling ahead of the reopening of school
classes, the group bought 25 samples of bags, costing P50 to P280 each and with
colors and images appealing to children, from bargain stores and sidewalk
vendors in Juan Luna St. and Recto Ave. in Divisoria and Rizal Ave. in Sta.
Cruz, Manila

Using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, EcoWaste researchers
screened the samples for lead, a potent brain and nervous system poison, and
other chemicals linked to serious health and environmental problems.

In the absence of a specific standard for lead in children’s bags, the EcoWaste
Coalition used as reference the 90 parts per million (ppm) limit for lead in
consumer paints and surface coatings under the US Consumer Product Safety
Improvement Act.

Out of 25 samples, 23 (92%) were found to contain lead up to 5,752 ppm in
excess of the 90 ppm threshold. None of the samples had proper product labels.

“Parents should not only be worried with overloaded school bags that can cause
back pain and deformities,” stated Aileen Lucero, Acting National Coordinator,
EcoWaste Coalition.

“Parents should be concerned as well with toxins prowling in those bags that
can impair brain development, causing shorter attention span, learning
disabilities and decrease in IQ score,” she suggested.

The “Risk Management Strategy for Lead” published by Health Canada in February
2013 said that “research suggests that an incremental increase in blood lead
levels of 1 microgram per deciliter is associated with approximately a one IQ
point deficit,” the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out.

The European Food Safety Authority, US Environmental Protection Authority,
World Health Organization (WHO) and other health and science bodies have not
identified a safe level of exposure to lead below which no adverse health
effects can be observed, the EcoWaste Coalition noted.

According to WHO, “the potential for adverse effects of lead exposure is
greater for children than for adults, because in children 1) the intake of lead
per unit body weight is higher, 2) more dust may be ingested, 3) lead
absorption in the gastrointestinal tract is higher, 4) the blood–brain barrier
is not yet fully developed and 5) neurological effects occur at lower levels
than in adults.”

“This is why it is crucial to get rid of childhood lead exposure at its source
such as lead-added paints, lead-containing consumer products, and lead-contaminated
dust and waste,” Lucero added.

“This is why lawmakers and regulators need to act fast to ban lead in paints
and products, particularly those designed for children’s use such as kiddie bag
and other school supplies,” she said.

The main routes of exposure to lead are through ingestion, inhalation and, in
minimal cases, via dermal contact or skin absorption.

Based on the chemical analysis conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition, the
following kiddie bags registered with lead over 1,000 ppm:

To minimize exposure to lead in school bags and related articles, the EcoWaste
Coalition recommends that parents:

1. Avoid polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) plastic bags as their materials may contain lead used as stabilizer, as
well as phthalates used as plasticizers.Lead and phthalates are listed among endocrine disrupting chemicals, or
chemicals that may interfere with the production or activity on hormones in the
human endocrine system.

3.Avoid school bags that have strong chemical
smells, indicating the use of paints with high levels of volatile organic compounds.

4.Avoid products with “cracked” painted design as it
could easily chip off under normal use,
potentially spreading lead-containing paint flakes and dust.

5. Avoid products lacking essential product information such as the manufacturer’s
or distributor’s contact information in case you need to make an inquiry or
complaint.

6.Ask for receipts in case you need to
return the items you bought if they are found to be defective, substandard or
unsafe.The EcoWaste
Coalition is a national network of more than 150 public interest groups
pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and chemical
issues towards the envisioned Zero Waste 2020 goal.

The
Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino
(BMP) and the EcoWaste Coalition today appealed for concerted action that will protect
the nation’s workforce against occupational diseases.

In a joint statement to mark the “World Day for Safety and Health at Work,” the
groups echoed the call by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for a holistic
prevention-focused action to address the growing burden of occupational
diseases.

According to the ILO, some 2.34 million people die each year from work-related
accidents and diseases of which an estimated 2.02 million people die from a
wide range of work-related diseases.

“Our workers need not suffer from occupational diseases as they toil in
construction sites, factories, landfills, farms, mines and other work
places.There must be an effective way
to prevent work-related ailments and deaths that will uphold the workers’
health rights, especially for those employed in hazardous jobs,” said Josua
Mata, Secretary-General of APL.

“With the participation of the workers and their unions, the cooperation of the
employers and the genuine enforcement of labor laws and standards, we’ll
prevail over old and new occupational health maladies,” he added.

Gie Relova, Secretary-General of BMP for the National Capital Region, said that
“occupational diseases pose a real burden for workers and their families many
of whom are already having troubles in making both ends meet.”

“The government should institute effective programs that will tackle the root
causes of such diseases and provide workers with accessible and adequate
support.Protecting workers’ health
against occupational diseases is our collective responsibility,” he said.

Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect, warned
that “if we do not act with urgency and resolve, workers who are engaged in
dangerous jobs and exposed to harmful chemical substances might end up joining
the global estimate of 5,500 deaths daily due to occupational diseases.”

“We ask the government to generate and disclose data on occupational diseases,
including sex-disaggregated data, to help our society fully understand the
problem and the steps needed to prevent them,” he suggested.

“As a group advocating for zero waste and chemical safety, we want our workers
protected from all hazards that can ruin their health, productivity and future,”
he emphasized.

The ILO report, “The Prevention
of Occupational Diseases,” pointed out that over two million workers die yearly,
or an average of 5,500 deaths daily, due to work-related diseases. The ILO also
estimates that 160 million cases of non-fatal work-related diseases occur
annually.The
ILO warned that millions of workers continue to be at risk of pneumoconioses
due to

ILO is calling for a comprehensive “paradigm of prevention” that focuses on
occupational diseases and not only on injuries.

“This new paradigm must underscore a set of principles: that just because the
problem is difficult to tackle, it cannot be ignored; that the recognition,
prevention and treatment of occupational diseases as well as the improvement of
recording and notification systems must be high priorities; that enhancing
national safety and health programmes is essential to the health of both
individuals and the societies they live in,” the ILO explained.

24 April 2013

Over 50 health and environmental groups today
asked the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to take action that will protect
babies from an endocrine disrupting chemical called Bisphenol A or BPA.

In a letter sent to Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Director of the FDA, the groups
urged the agency to ban the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of
children’s food and beverage containers such as baby bottles and feeding cups
containing BPA.

BPA, a chemical used to manufacture hard polycarbonate plastic containers, is
widely used in clear plastic bottles and in food-can liners.

The requested action by the FDA will put the Philippines in the same league
with countries that have banned BPA in baby bottles such as Canada (2008),
France (2010), the 27 member states of European Union (2011), China (2011), USA
(2012) and Taiwan (2013), the groups noted.

Not content with only banning BPA in baby bottles, the groups cited the “French
example,” which prohibits the use of BPA in all food contact materials.

By 2015, France will prohibit “the manufacture, import, export and
commercialization of all forms of food packaging containing BPA,” the groups
said.

“An immediate ban on BPA in baby bottles and a phase-out plan for its use in
all food contact materials, in line with the precautionary principle, will
reduce children’s exposure to BPA in the food supply,” said Aileen Lucero,
Acting National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Banning
it will also serve as a deterrent against dumping of BPA-laden baby bottles
from overseas into our ports and markets,” she added.

“Strict labeling requirements should also be enforced so that consumers will
have an easy and reliable way of knowing if a product is BPA-free or not,” she said.

In test buys conducted in Divisoria last Sunday, the EcoWaste Coalition’s
AlerToxic Patrol bought 10 pieces of baby feeding bottles and none of the
samples provided information about their BPA content.

The 15th Congress has taken notice of the issue with some
legislative measures filed, noted the groups.

Sen. Santiago’s proposed bill will ban BPA
in “any reusable baby food or beverage container or any infant formula or baby
food stored in a plastic container, can or jar.”

To ensure that the BPA replacement will not pose a health risk, Santiago’s bill
also requires that “manufacturers shall not replace BPA with substances that
are known carcinogens, those that have carcinogenic potentials, likely
carcinogens, known to be human carcinogens, likely to be human carcinogens, or
suggestive of being carcinogens, and those with reproductive toxicants.”

In June 2011, the American Medical Association (AMA), the largest physician
group in US, voted to adopt a new policy “recognizing BPA as an
endocrine-disrupting agent.”

The AMA said that BPA-containing products with the potential for human exposure
should be clearly identified, and that it supports the industry initiatives to
stop the manufacturing of BPA-containing baby bottles and feeding cups and the
ban on their sale.

Among the groups that sought FDA’s policy action against BPA were the EcoWaste
Coalition, Arugaan-Save the Babies Coalition, Consumer Rights for Safe Food,
Greenpeace, partylist group “Ang NARS”, Philippine Medical Association,
Philippines for Natural Farming, Inc., Philippine
Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology and the group Upholding Life
and Nature.

23 April 2013

The collapse of the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill that feared to have buried four employees prompted the EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, to press for stricter implementation of R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste management Act, particularly waste prevention and reduction, and ensuring the safety of operation of sanitary landfills.

“This is not the first time that it happened when a portion of the border wall of the same landfill collapsed amid incessant rains and sent trash cascading down the nearby creek in 2009,” said Commissioner Romeo Hidalgo, NGO Representative, National Solid Waste Management Commission and Co-Chair of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force Dumps and Incinerators.

“As the country commemorates Earth Day yesterday, and while the families grieve for the tragic incident that involved their loved ones, we urge the local government units (LGUs) and landfill operators to learn from this latest garbage disaster in order to avoid similar incidents from happening over and over again,” Comm. Hidalgo added.

How many lives need to perish before we learn and act towards ending our wasteful habits and indiscriminate treatment of the environment?

“We therefore urge concerned LGUs and national government agencies (NGAs) to carry out robust landfill inspections making sure that operators strictly adhere to the health and safety procedures and site criteria requirements in establishing sanitary landfills,” Hidalgo stated.

Fierce weather disturbances and other factors are no longer enough reasons to justify garbage erosion incidents that risk many lives. People need to put an end on this by taking responsibility to the garbage they produce, and by preventing the creation of waste at the onset.

Sound waste management practices such as waste segregation, reuse and recycling, composting, cleaning the production process of materials through the removal of toxic chemicals, avoiding excessive use of packaging materials, and implementing take back mechanisms, need to be inculcated in the minds of both manufacturers and consumers.

Meanwhile, the EcoWaste Coalition commends and supports the action of the Office of The Environmental Ombudsman (OEO) together with the NGAs, LGUs and non-government organizations (NGOs) as they launch the Solid Waste Management Compliance Program yesterday to celebrate Earth Day.

According to the OEO, this partnership between the government and civic groups seeks to inform the public on the critical need of implementing the provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (R.A. 9003) and hold concerned government officials and personnel accountable for the effective implementation of the aforementioned law.

“We support this undertaking spearheaded by the OEO to conduct an assessment of various NGAs and LGUs with regards to their environmental compliance with R.A. 9003,” said Aileen Lucero, Acting National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“It is already 13 years since the enactment of this law and until now, it has not been fully implemented yet. It is high time that we address the government’s feeble implementation of the law on a national scale,” Lucero said.

Lucero added that “the recent tragedy in a sanitary landfill in the province of Rizal could have been prevented had the government instituted such reforms much earlier.”

The EcoWaste Coalition is a national network of more than 150 public interest groups pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues towards the envisioned Zero Waste 2020 goal.

21 April 2013

Banned products still on sale (above), laden with mercury but not yet banned (below)

Skin
whitening products banned by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for
containing excessive amounts of mercury that pose health risk to consumers and the environment, are still being
sold by defiant vendors in Manila, a toxics watchdog reported on the eve of
Earth Day.

In test buys conducted on April 19 and 20, the EcoWaste Coalition’s AlerToxic
Patrol purchased a total of 21 skin whitening creams, including 14 banned products,
from 12 stores selling Chinese medicines and cosmetics in Divisoria, Sta. Cruz
and Quiapo.

Topping the list of products with sky-high level of mercury was a Beauty Girl Green Cucumber 6 Days Double Whitening Soft Essence Cream, with 50,600 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, way above the allowable limit of 1 ppm under the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive.

“Dangerous cosmetics loaded with mercury are sold with impunity despite
repeated health warnings by the authorities,” said Aileen Lucero, Acting
National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“This is very bad for our people’s health, and for the environment since
mercury in cosmetics is discharged into wastewater that ultimately goes into storm
drains, rivers and seas,” she added.

The EcoWaste Coalition also obtained seven products, sold from P110-P320 each, that
tested positive for mercury in subsequent analysis.The seven products are not yet on the FDA’s
list of 77 banned skin whitening cosmetics.

“The electorate should ask candidates to take cognizance of the problem
and act to combat this illegal trade that is making Manila the ‘cosmetoxic’
capital of the country,” she emphasized.“Cosmetoxic” is a term coined by the EcoWaste Coalition to draw
attention to the proliferation of cosmetics laced with harmful substances in
the market.

Politicians vying for Manila City Council seats, the EcoWaste Coalition pointed
out, should throw their support behind a proposed ordinance filed in 2012 that
could have contained, if not crushed, the illegal trade of “cosmetoxic” in the
city.The ordinance would have prohibited:

"a. The manufacture, importation, marketing and promotion, distribution and sale of cosmetics with mercury in excess of 1 ppm as set by the FDA.""b. The sale, wholesale or retail, of cosmetics that have not been authorized by the FDA as required by R.A. 9711.""c. The sale, wholesale or retail, of cosmetics that have not complied with the labeling requirements implemented by the FDA."

As proposed, “any violation of the ordinance shall be a basis for the
suspension of the business license or permit for a period of not more than
fifteen (15) days for the first violation; thirty (30) days for the second
violation, and the revocation thereof for the third and subsequent violations,”
and the imposition of severe penalties under R.A. 9711, or the Food and Drugs
Administration Act.

According to
the World Health Organization, “the main adverse effect of the inorganic
mercury contained in skin lightening creams is kidney damage.”

“Mercury in skin lightening products may also cause skin rashes, skin
discoloration and scarring, as well as a reduction in the skin’s resistance to
bacterial and fungal infections.Other
effects include anxiety, depression or psychosis and peripheral neuropathy,” it
added.

To avoid exposure to mercury in cosmetics, the EcoWaste Coalition recommends the
following:

1.Read the product label; reject products
that do not list their ingredients; say no to products with incomplete
information or with labels written in a language that you cannot understand.

2.If you are already using a skin
whitening product containing mercury, stop using it and consult a doctor at
once.

3.Dispose of mercury-containing
products responsibly: do not mix it with other trash; do not burn as mercury
will vaporize and contaminate the air.

4.Contact the FDA through their
hotlines 8571900 and 165332 for information and advice.

Note:The draft “ ORDINANCE TO STOP
THE ILLEGAL SALE OF INJURIOUS MERCURY-CONTAINING COSMETICS AND ALL OTHER UNREGISTERED
AND UNLABELED OR MISLABELED COSMETICS IN THE CITY OF MANILA” was filed by
District II Councilor Numero Lim in March 2012.

14 April 2013

All children should be
able to draw and write without being exposed to the hazards of mercury, an
extremely toxic element, in crayons and pencils.

The EcoWaste
Coalition, a toxics watchdog, emphasized the right of every child to safe
drawing and writing materials following an investigation it initiated that
found mercury in dozens of crayon and pencil products bought mainly from
Divisoria, the budget shopping paradise.

Of the 22
samples of crayon sets, 18 were found to exceed the allowable limit of 20 parts
per million (ppm) under the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for Safety of
Toys, the group reported.Mercury up to
307 ppm was particularly found in purple or violet crayons.

Traces of
mercury were also detected in 38 of the 44 pencil samples.While not exceeding the PNS, the EcoWaste
Coalition pointed out that the amounts of mercury, particularly in the ferrules
that kids often bite, were above the regulatory limits for mercury in fish (0.5
ppm) and in cosmetics (1 ppm).

“We find it
disturbing that mercury, a potent neurotoxin, is present in crayons and pencils
that children often put in their mouths, a most prevalent route for mercury
intake,” said Aileen Lucero, Acting National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Some may say
that the amounts of mercury we found in the samples are miniscule, but we must
not forget that no level of mercury is safe, especially for children whose
developing brains and other vital organs are most vulnerable to the toxic
effects of mercury,” she said.

Mercury tends to
accumulate in the food chain and the human body, mainly in the brain, liver and
kidneys, via ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption, Lucero explained.

“All products
meant for use in learning or playing by children should be entirely safe from
mercury and other hazards. It is important to eradicate all contributors to
childhood exposure to mercury,” she emphasized.

The discovery of
mercury incrayons and pencils (albeit
at low levels) prompted the group to push for a stricter limit to minimize
children’s exposure to mercury due to their frequent hand-to-mouth activities.

Jeiel Guarino,
in-house chemist of the EcoWaste Coalition saidthat “regulators should consider revising the current threshold for
mercury in toys and related children’s products, which is too weak to
adequately protect the health of the Filipino child.”

“Children often
bite into and chew on toys and related products such as crayons and pencils,
somercury as an additive or an impurity
should not be present at all in articles that may get into their hands and
mouths,” he said.

“While there
really is no safe threshold, using the 0.5 ppm limit for mercury in fish or the
1 ppm limit for mercury in cosmetics, rather than 20 ppm, will be a more
child-friendly option,” hesaid.

If either the
said 0.5 ppm or 1 ppm limit is applied, 18 of the crayons and 38 of the pencils
screened by the EcoWaste Coalition would have hugely exceeded such a ceiling.

TIPS TO AVOID MERCURY EXPOSURE:

To prevent and reduce children’s exposure to mercury via school supplies, the
EcoWaste Coalition advises parents and teachers:

- to supervise
kids as they use their crayons and pencils;

- to constantly
remind themnot to bite or chew on their
drawing and writing tools; and

- to wash their
hands after drawing or writing activities, especially before eating.

ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON CRAYONS ANALYZED:

Out of 22 crayon
sets, 18 were found to be contaminated with mercury in the range of 22 to 307
ppm.

7 of the 22
samples had the “non-toxic” mark as required by the Department of Trade and
Industry, and 3 of the 7 “non-toxic” crayons had 22, 28 and 251 ppm of mercury,
indicating that not all “non-toxic” claims should be taken at face value.

Except for 1
product, all the mercury-positive crayon samples failed to provide complete
information about their manufacturers or distributors and their contact details
in violation of product labeling requirements.

The crayon
samples were obtained from 7 stores mostly located at New Divisoria Mall, 1188
Mall and 168 Mall, all in Divisoria, Manila.

ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON PENCILS ANALYZED:

Out of 44 pencil
samples, 38 were found to contain traces of mercury from 6 to 16 ppm.Mercury was specifically detected in the
ferrules, or the metal ring that holds the eraser.

Low levels of
lead were also found in half of the samples, but lead above the US limit of 90
ppm was found in a “Made in China 6181 HB”pencil (324 ppm at the pencil’s body)
and “Goliath 908 HB” (340 ppm at pencil’s ferrule).

The pencils were
procured from stationery shops in Juan Luna St. New Divisoria Mall and Tutuban
Mall in Divisoria and from major school supplies stores in Quiapo and Sta.
Cruz.

10 April 2013

Quezon City. A toxics watchdog has cautioned vendors and consumers against the use of paint brushes for basting meat while barbecuing and for other food applications.

The EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Food Safety made the warning after a chemical analysis of 25 paint brushes bought from small and big hardware stores showed elevated levels of lead in 22 of the samples.

Using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, the EcoWaste Coalition detected lead up to 17,400 parts per million (ppm) on the painted wooden handles of the 22 paint brushes, way above the US safety standard of 90 ppm for lead in paint.

Subsequent market investigation by the group’s AlerToxic Patrol revealed that paint brushes are also being used in several food applications, prompting the group to make the warning.

“Our investigation shows that paint brushes are often used as basting brushes to a variety of street food such as pork and chicken barbecue, boiled corn on the cob, hotcake and native bibingka,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

“Paint brushes, especially those with handles coated in leaded paint, are not food-safe and should not be used for basting or greasing food,” he pointed out.

“The leaded paint will, sooner or later, chip off and get mixed with the basting sauce or with the butter or margarine and that’s not good for health,” he explained.

Toxicologist Dr. Bessie Antonio of the East Avenue Medical Center agrees, saying that “strictly speaking, paint brushes are not meant to be in contact with food.”

“As a precaution against potential contamination, food preparers and sellers should use suitable food contact materials that are clean, hygienic and free of lead and other toxins,” said Antonio, who is also the Vice-President of the Philippine Society of Clinical and Occupational Toxicology.

Also, traces of arsenic (highest: 2,104 ppm), chromium (highest: 11,200 ppm) and mercury (highest: 81 ppm) were found in most of the samples.

None of the samples had precautionary labels to notify consumers about lead and other chemicals of concern on the paint brushes, the EcoWaste Coalition said.

According to the group, information on chemicals in a product with matching precautionary warning is essential to guide consumers in making informed choices and in preventing risks of exposure for users and non-users alike.

In separate letters to the hardware store chains, the EcoWaste Coalition suggested that they either voluntarily remove the leaded paint brushes off the shelves or post a visible warning that will inform consumers about the lead content of such articles.

The hardware stores were also urged to require their paint brush suppliers to manufacture lead-free, non-toxic brushes.

The EcoWaste Coalition further suggested that hardware stores should provide a warning sign next to the leaded paint brushes that says “not safe for basting food” – or its equivalent in local language – to prevent contamination during food preparation.

The EcoWaste Coalition is a national network of more than 150 public interest groups pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues towards the envisioned Zero Waste 2020 goal.

09 April 2013

A toxics watchdog has detected lead, a
developmental and reproductive toxin, in paint brushes at levels violating
safety standard in the United States

Using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, the EcoWaste Coalition found lead up
to 17,400 parts per million (ppm) on the painted wooden handles of 22 out of 25
brushes, way above the allowable limit of 90 ppm for lead in paint in US.

“None of the samples had precautionary labels to notify consumers
about lead and other chemicals of concern on the paint brushes,” said
Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

“Consumers, especially the health and safety conscious ones with strong
preference for paints with no lead additives, will be upset to buy and use
leaded paint brushes without their knowledge. It’s unacceptable to
keep customers in the dark on matters affecting their well-being,” he
said.

According to the group, information on chemicals in a product with matching
precautionary warning will guide consumers in making informed choices and in
preventing risks of exposure for users and non-users alike.

“Also, since paint brushes are often used as basting brushes, especially by street
vendors selling barbecued meats, sellers and buyers should know that
leaded brushes are not food-safe and should not be used for basting food,”
Dizon added.

The 25 paint brushes, representing 14 brands with prices ranging from P12 to
P102, were obtained from 12 hardware and home improvement stores at the Araneta
Commercial Center and adjacent places in Cubao, Quezon City.

Only 3 paint brushes (Hi Tech with black plastic handle, Mansion with wooden
handle in natural varnish and Stanley with wooden handle in brown varnish) had
low or non-detectable levels of lead (see photo below).

Traces of arsenic (highest: 2,104 ppm), chromium (highest: 11,200 ppm) and
mercury (highest: 81 ppm) were also detected in most of the samples.

The EcoWaste Coalition had already notified the major hardware store chains
about their findings.

In separate letters to the stores, the EcoWaste Coalition suggested that they
either voluntarily remove the leaded paint brushes off the shelves or post a
visible warning that will inform consumers about the lead content of such
articles.

The hardware stores were also urged to require their paint brush suppliers to
manufacture lead-free, non-toxic brushes.

Additionally, hardware stores should provide a warning sign next to the leaded
paint brushes that says “not fit for basting food” - or its equivalent in local
language - to prevent contamination during food preparation, the EcoWaste
Coalition said.

The EcoWaste Coalition is a national network of over 150 public interest groups
pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and chemical
issues towards the envisioned Zero Waste 2020 goal.

About Me

is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.